Money Moral Dilemma: Should I start spending more to go plastic-free?

MSE_Sarah

This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks...

I want to reduce my plastic use, and have made some easy changes such as switching to reusable bags. But sometimes it costs more to use less plastic, eg, buying bars of shampoo and conditioner instead of bottles. Should I fork out more for the planet's sake?

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benedictadams

there are a number of websites which say it is cheaper to use a bar

but it depends on which shampoo you use at the moment

and which bar you buy, Lush cost a lot but there are other brands out there although harder to buy on the high street (and then you have the carbon footprint from the delivery company)

its a how long is a piece of string question as it depends which shampoo you use, how much each use costs, which bar you buy, how much each use costs etc

EXSUDBURY

I changed from using liquid soap to a bar of soap but - at the risk of being too descriptive - if you get poo on your hand there is a risk of getting it on the bar of soap as well and this doesn't apply with liquid soap! I appreciate that it should be avoided - if you notice in time - by either using paper or rinsing your hands in water first. Just one practical aspect!

TinaMT

Hi! I switched from liquid shampoo to a Lush shampoo bar on 2nd January and I’m still using the same bar so it has saved me money in the long run. I have long hair and wash every other day. I have enough left for roughly a week so 3 months usage per bar is pretty cost effective.
I have lots of other low cost, plastic-free switches on my Instagram page if you would like to check it out - anti_plastic_life
Being environmentally friendly doesn’t need to be more expensive at all :j
Hope this helps!

Wizzbang

The answer is thus:

If you can afford to and you want to make purchases in-line with your values- then yes. Only you can make this decision and decide where your boundaries lie.

I switched to going zero waste in 2015 and quickly realised the reality wasn't so simple and potentially very expensive! For example, the quality of goods available in my nearest and only whole foods store, was not as good as those bought in the supermarket and the dates were always short. Thus, I was wasting my hard earned cash shopping there. Despite my best intentions and wanting to support a local business, this just simply wasn't a good option for me. Likewise, I can't afford to pay 3x the price for glass bottled milk, delivered to my door.

However, Lush is quite easily accessible on the high street and like the above poster - I find their bars last a couple of months, on my very long, thick hair. I may not be saving money compared to buying the cheapest shampoo and conditioner out there, but I don't think I'm spending any more and I'm shopping in-line with my values. I was able to switch to a local green grocer and butcher easily and re-use my own containers and bags with very little effort. I was able to choose cloth nappies for my baby and it's no extra effort or cost to wash and dry them, compared to going to the store.

However, I'm not prepared to compost my cat litter in the garden due to hygiene reasons. So I drew the line at that! I could go on with personal examples, but as you can see - it's really down to you and your personal circumstances.

onlineo

Yes and no. Life would be much easier if the plastic containers were made out of biodegradable or at least recycled stuff.

We have a couple of shops near us that sell packaging free food, toiletries and cleaning stuff etc. I have been in a couple of times to support the local business and always try to buy something but the prices are ridiculous e.g most food is priced per 100g but at the local supermarket you would get 500g-1kg for the same price. Ecover is roughly twice the price as from the supermarket, or if like me you buy 5 or 10 bottles of the washing up liquid, and the washing machine liquid and the softener every time the supermarket does it half price, then you will find that they sell Ecover for 4 times the price I pay, and you have to purchase your own bottle if you haven't got a reusable one. I have also seen them emptying plastic containers of liquid into the big dispensers, so overall i am not too sure if it is even reducing plastic use.
I do buy a deodrant from Lush which is expensive but alas it comes in a plastic bottle, so not really reducing plastic... but works better than any deodorant I have ever used.

REJP

Am I missing something?
My local council provides a bin to put all plastic in so that it can be recycled.
You make your own decision in the end, so it is up to you if you want to buy plastic free goods or not.
Like other posters I have found buying loose products is considerably more expensive than buying in plastic, but if you can afford it make your own mind up. This is not a dilemma if you dispose of plastic containers for recycling if the service is available in your area. The problem arises when thoughtless people dump it in ditches or rivers.

TinaMT

Hi REJP,
I wanted to post a link to put this post into context for you however posting links is restricted
Google ‘the problem with plastic’ and read the first article on there which is by the BBC. It’s pretty shocking what plastic is doing to our planet :mad:

determined_new_ms

We are trying to reduce our plastic usage. We have decided we can do our bit and try to reduce as much as we can. We have to balance out what we want and what we can afford. We have decided each fortnight when our recycling is collected we will look at what is mostly in the bin and attempt to adjust that. Things we are doing:

* swapped to milkman - it isn't actually that much more expensive and supports someone's livelihood
* making our own bread
* buying f&v from farmers market and growing own
* looking to bulk buy certain products so we can get in non-plastic packaging - oil and pulses currently looking at
* shampoo & soap bars
* soapnuts for washing & astonish bar for stained laundry

Mainly we are cutting down on everything as a way of getting out of this mass consumption culture we are in.

It is hard and we don't have loads of money so have to draw a balance. And really until industry & governments really want to deal with this there is very little the individual can do to change this sitution.

I am intending on writing to MP & supermarkets asking for their support in this issue/reducing plastic pakaging

jwil

It's not as simple as 'all plastic is bad' though, and some of the knee jerk reactions to programmes such as the Blue Planet are actually going to cause more harm to the planet than plastic.

Most of the plastic going into the ocean is coming from countries without suitable waste management facilities, people who are littering or the fishing industry. It's not coming from the plastic you are putting in your recycling or rubbish. Many people in the world have no access to waste facilities so their rubbish is just dumped. There are a number of organisations out there trying to help resolve this including waste aid https://wasteaid.org/responding-global-waste-management-crisis/

Biodegradable and compostable plastics are not the solution. They do not break down quickly - particularly in the ocean, and when they do break down into smaller fragments which are just as harmful to wildlife. They are a contaminant in the recycling stream, so should just be put in the rubbish bin. Biodegradable materials break down to create methane in landfill, so if your rubbish is sent to landfill, you are harming the environment by putting biodegradable material in there be that biodegradable plastic, food, paper, or textiles. It's also incredibly questionable that we should be producing packaging materials from plants, and therefore using precious growing land for packaging! https://www.isonomia.co.uk/is-it-time-to-switch-to-biodegradable-plastics/

An automatic reaction is to find paper/cardboard or glass alternatives. These materials are heavier than plastic and so there are increased carbon emissions through transporting them. This can offset any material benefit. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47027792

Plastic bottles are a high quality material, and in demand from reprocessors. They can be recycled into other bottles, so closed loop recycling. Other plastic packaging can be more problematic, but there are other issues involved. Plastic packaging can help reduce food waste, which is not only a moral issue, it's a big environmental issue with huge carbon impact. The plastic around a cucumber extends it's life compared to an unwrapped one and therefore reduces waste. However, there are other items for which wrapping is certainly not needed (cabbages, swede etc).https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/a-lesson-in-packaging-myths-is-shrink-wrap-on-a-cucumber-really-mindless-waste-8340812.html

People think they should switch from plastic milk bottles to glass ones. However, a glass one (being heavier) needs to be reused 20 times before it is environmentally better than a plastic bottle. According to WRAP, the average glass milk bottle is only reused 18 times, not enough to be better than plastic. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43724314

When looking for alternatives, we need to think about the whole life cycle of the product, not just what it's made from or how it's disposed. There are no easy solutions. One of the most important things is never to litter (and that includes cigarette ends which people don't seem to consider litter but which are most likely to make it to the sea through drains etc) https://globalnews.ca/news/4418956/cigarette-butts-ocean-pollution-ban/ , reuse stuff as much as possible, reduce consumption and dispose of your waste responsibly!

Frankie56

I feel some people think it is ok to buy plastic and products supplied in plastic as they will recycle it but not all plastic is recyclable. If you check on the packaging, you will sometimes see 'Not currently recyclable'.
I buy washing powder in a cardboard box.
I use shampoo bars and normal soap bars in the shower. Also for hand washing. They last for ages.
I choose loose fruit and veg but find the local supermarkets rarely have loose (we don't have any local fruit and veg shops) so I do buy plastic packets, pay for them then leave the packaging with one of the staff to get rid of. I think if enough people do this, the supermarkets will be quicker to sort out their packaging.
I did find a young man, about an hour bus journey away, who has started selling powders, liquids etc loose for people to bring their own containers.
I use compostable bags for food rubbish, put all veg and fruit peelings in the compost bin so don't have much to put in the food bin.
I take anything I don't want to charity shops, including any plastic bags my boss throws in the bin.